Footwear



Sept. 13, 1932. Ma GUS-HN 1,877,724

FOOTWEAR Filed Nov. 5, 1930 ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 13, 1932 MAX GUSTIN, OF NEW YDRK, Y.

FOOTWEAR Application filed November 5, 1930. Serial No. 493,479.

This invention relates to footwear such as shoes, boudoir slippers, mules and the like articles.

An object of this invention is to provide a shoe or slipper of the character described having strap portions adapted to be crossed and looped aboutthe ankle of the wearer and interattached at the ends thereof. In accordance with the invention, means is provided for adjusting the strap portions whereby the same will be crossed and interattached directly in the rear and front of the foot.

A further obj ect of this invention is to provide in a slipperV of the character described, an extensible strap having means for preventing exposure of the elastic extensible portion thereof. I

A still further object of this invention is to provide a 'slipper' of the character described having means for detachably attaching the same to the ends of a strap adapted to be wound about the wearers foot.

Another object of this invention is' to provide a neat and attractive mule or slipper of the character described which shall comprise few and simple parts, be comparatively inexpensive to manufacture. easy to manipulate and adjust and which shall yet be practical and efficient to a high degree. l

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and'in part hereinafter pointed out. Y

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

Inv the accompanying drawing, in which is shownlone of the various Vpossible illustrative'embodiments of this invention, l Fig. 1 is a side elevational view ofa slipper embodying the invention showing the position thereof when worn; A

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3 8 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a perspective fragmentary detail PAT'ENr QFFIC i straps illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken online 6 6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a transverse cross-sectional view of a modified construction;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a still further modied construction embodying the invention; and

Y Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 9-9 of Fig. s.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, 10

designates a shoe or slipperof the mule or boudoir type embodying the invention, shown in Fig. 1 on a foot 11. The slipper or mule 10 comprises a body 10a having an outer sole The slipper fur- 10'and an inner sole 10c.

ther comprises a vamp portion 12 and a heel 13, the insole preferably having a cushion top 14. For the purpose of illustration only,

the slipper .10 is shown without any rear or counter portion, the vamp portion 12 thereof terminating in edge portion 15 extending around the front of the foot and inclined rearwardlyV andk downwardly' t oward the forward top portions of the heel 13.

Attached to said body 10a hereinafter appearing, are a p in themanner air of substantially similar elongated, `fiat, iiexible, preferably -nonelastic strips or strap portions 17, 18 made of leather, cloth or any other suitable material. The inner ends 17 a, and 18a of said strap portions 17 and 18 are'sewed or otherwise attached between the outer sole 10b' and the insole 10c, said inner portions 17 a and 18a being furthermore inclined forwardly toward the mid-portion ofl-theslipper. The free or unattached portions of the straps are disposed on the inner side of the vamp and extend rearwardly and upwardly from the body 10a whereby said strap portions may be crossed at the rear of the foot above the heel portion thereof and then forwardly about the anklel and interattached at the kfront of the foot in the manner hereinafter appearing.

The crossed portions of the ceived within a loop member 2 straps are re- 0. Said memstrap members and may thus be adjusted to be disposed directly at the rear of the foot.

Slidably mounted on the end portion 186 of the strap member 18 is an attachment member 22 formed with a central socket portion 23 forming part of a snap fastener.' The member 22 is provided with a pair of parallel slots 24, 25 and the end portion 185 may be threaded through the slot 25 around the reark of the socket portion 23 and then through the slot 24. Adjustably. mounted on the end portion 17 b of the strap 17 is a buckle or attachment member 26 having parallel slots 27, 28 through which said strap end portion is threaded. Said member 26 is provided with a head 29 adapted to be received in the socket 23 so that the attachment members 22, 26 may be quickly attached by means of the snap fastener portions 23, 29.

It will be noted that the members 22, 26 may be adjusted along the length of the strap end portions 186, 17 b and are frictionally retained in adjusted position. Said .attachment members may be so adjusted so as to bring the same directlyin front of the foot. The wearer may adjust the attachment members 22, 26 to bring the same directly in front ofthe foot and the outer ends of the strap, which extend beyond the attachment members and which may then be severed or cut olf so as not to show when the slipper is worn, as shown in Fig. 2.

It will now be clear that the mule may be used with various ankle sizes and the straps nevertheless adjusted so as to cross directly at the rear and be interattached directly at the front of the foot. V

In accordance with the modification shown in Fig. 7, one of thestrap portions 30 may have a snap fastener portion such as a head 31 non-adjustably fiXed thereto and adapted to coact with the socket 29 of the outer adjustable buckle attachment member 26. To permit adjustment of the length of the strap portion 30 however, the'same is provided with' an elastic insert 32, attached between the inner and outer soles of the slipper as is clearly illustrated in Fig.. 7. Tol prevent the t3 elastic member 32 however, from being eX,-

posed upon stretching the same, a pocket, jacket or skirt 33 is attached at the upper end of the elastic portion 32.

It will now be seen that should Athe strap 30 be pulled upwardly the jacket 33 which covers the elastic member @will 'be moved above the top edge 15 of the vamp 12,the elastic ymember 32 remaining hidden from view.

In accordance with the modification shown inl Figs. 8 and 9,' small iiapsor tabs 36 are attached to the vamp 15 on both sides thereof preferably by sewing the inner ends 37 of said tabs between the run and turned edges 38 of the inner and outer pieces of material of which the vamp is made.

Attached to each of the flaps 36 is a snap fastener portion 39 such as a head. A single strap member 40 is provided for coaction with the flaps 36. The strap 40 may be wound about the ankle and crossed in various positions and is provided with end portions 42 and 43l on which are adustably mounted buckles 44 and 45 having complementary socket snap fastener portions 46. The strap 40 may be wound about the foot in the manner shown in Fig. 1 by crossing the same at the rear of the foot. The strap however may be crossed in the front and wound about the rear of the foot. Should the purchaser of the slipper not wish to use the strap, the flaps 36 may be severed or cut away along the top edge 15 of the vamp, without in any way marring or affecting the appearance of the shoe. Furthermore, instead of adjustably attaching buckles 44, to the end of the strap, fixed socket attachment members may be att-ached to the ends of said strap and an elastic insert interposed within the strap. Said insert may also be covered by a. jacket similar to jacket 33 to prevent exposure of the elastic kinsert upon stretching the strap for adjusting the same.

It will be noted that a pull on the front portion of the crossed straps will be transmitted to the crossed rear portions and the latter maintained in adjusted position upon fastening of such front portions to each other in correct position. After the straps have been adjusted to the particular ankle and fastened, the wearers foot does not move backward or forward relative to the sole of the mule.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might b-e made in the embodiments set forth, it is to be understood that al1 matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l 1. A slipper comprising a sole portion and a vamp portion, a strap comprising an elastic strip attached at the inner end thereof to said sole portion and disposed on the inside of said vamp portion, a flexible strip attached at the inner end thereof, to the outer end of said elastic strip, a skirted member attached to said end ofv said flexible strip forming a pocket for housing said elastic strip and disposed on the inside of said vamp portion, said skirted portion being of suiiicient length to prevent exposure of said elastic strip above said vamp portion upon pulling the strap to extend the same.

2. A slipper comprising a sole and aI vamp, a strap co-mprising an elastic member attached to said sole and disposed on the in- Side of said vamp, and a skirted sleeve covering said elastic member, said skrted sleeve being of sufeient length to prevent exposure of the stretched elastic member above the Vamp upon pulling the strap to extend the same.

3. A shoe comprising a vamp portion and a sole portion and a pair of flat elongated, flexible strips permanently attached to said sole portion on opposite sides thereof, the inner ends of said strips being disposed on the inside of the vamp, and normally inclined upwardly and rearwardly from said vamp portion and adapted to be crossed at the rear of the wearers foot and looped about the wearers ankle, a looped member slidably receiving the crossed portions of said strips, complementary snap fastener portions attached adjacent the free ends of said strips, the inner ends of said strips being elastic, and sleeves attached to said stripsl for covering said elastic portions.

4. A mule comprising a sole, an upper portion extending rearwardly froml the toe and terminating in advance of the heel, and' straps connected at their forward ends to said shoe inwardly of said upper portion, said straps extending rearwardly and up'- wardly and crossed at the rear and provided thereat with a member slidably connected to said straps to retain said straps in crossed relation, said straps having forwardly projecting portions adapted to be secured together at the front of the wearers ankle.

In testimony whereof I aiiix m signature.

MAX USTIN. 

